From the producers of America the Story of Us comes the epic tale ofthe rise of civilization. The 12-hour series spans the first flourishing ofcivilization in Mesopotamia through the discovery of America. Groundbreakingproduction techniques bring to life the greatest landmarks and milestones ofhuman achievement. CGI rebuilds lost worlds; large scale reenactments replaycritical battles; innovative use of interactive maps dynamically illustrates thekey factors that gave rise to civilization across the globe. MANKIND: The Story of All of Us emphasizes the simultaneity of thehuman adventure - how ancient Egypt thrived while Stonehenge was being built;China was at its zenith while Europe was plunged into the Dark Ages. HISTORYcaptures the danger, action, struggle, heroism, and adrenaline of MANKIND:The Story of All of Us !

As the first European to travel extensively throughout Asia, Marco Polo was the earliest bridge between East and West. His famous journeys took him across the boundaries of the known world, along the dangerous Silk Road, and into the court of Kublai Kahn, where he won the trust of the most feared and reviled leader of his day. Polo introduced the cultural riches of China to Europe, spawning centuries of Western fascination with Asia. In this lively blend of history, biography, and travelogue, acclaimed author Laurence Bergreen separates myth from history, creating the most authoritative account yet of Polo's remarkable adventures. Exceptionally narrated and written with a discerning eye for detail, Marco Polo is as riveting as the life it describes.

More than ever before, our conflict-ridden, drifting planet needs the qualities that Europe, unique among the continents, has developed in more than two millennia of history: its self-criticism, its urge to self-transcendence, exploration and experiment, its conviction that alternative and better forms of human togetherness can be achieved, as well as its dedication to the cause of seeking and promoting this improvement in practice. But today Europe is unsure of itself and its place in a fast-changing world; it is devoid of vision, limited in resources and lacking the will to pursue its vocation. It is also struggling with the consequences of a one-sided process of globalization which is divorcing power from politics, inciting the shift from the social state to security-focused governance and piling up the casualties of uncontrolled market expansion and the ethically blind commercialization of human life. Bauman argues that despite the odds Europe still has much to offer in dealing with the great challenges that face us in the twenty-first century. Through sharing its own hard-won historical lessons, Europe can play a vital role in moving from the Hobbesian-like world in which we find ourselves today towards the kind of peaceful unification of humanity that was once envisioned by Kant.